The Charlottesville 29

Where to eat in Charlottesville

Tag: The Local

03/28/2025

Five Finds on Friday: Michelle Moshier

Photo by Sarah Cramer Shields.

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Michelle Moshier, Director of Operations of Mockingbird and The Local. Featured in the upcoming book Badass Women of Charlottesville, Moshier is battling cancer for the third time, with her prior two cases coinciding with the birth of her three children – first the daughter she delivered in March 2021 and then the twin boys her wife delivered in July 2023.

With her latest recurrence in January 2025, the food community is rallying to her support. At an epic Battle of the Chefs: Cooking for a Cure on Tuesday, April 15, two husband-and-wife teams will compete in a multi-course cookoff: Matthew Hart (The Local) & Melissa Close-Hart (Mockingbird) vs. Tricia & Dave Stone (Chickadee). Guests will vote for the winner and bid on auction items donated by the community. If you can’t make it, you can still bid on items here, or donate by purchasing an “honorary ticket” in any amount you wish. All proceeds go to Moshier and Young Survival Coalition. Moshier’s picks:

1) Crispy Shrimp at The Local. “A shameless plug, sure—but also the truth. I’ve worked at The Local in just about every role over the past eighteen years, and I still eat the crispy shrimp every week. It was love at first bite, and somehow it never gets old.”

2) Beets at Oakhart Social. “My wife and I shared this dish on our first date, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. We go back to Oakhart often for lots of reasons, but I still find myself chasing that first bite of beets.”

3) New Orleans Roll at Now & Zen. “A perfect mix of textures and bold flavors—I can’t get enough. I always order way more than I should, but with these rolls, more is more.”

4) Chicken Philly with Frites and Paprika Mayo at Beer Run. “A total guilty pleasure. It’s my go-to comfort order, always with an Allagash on draft with a lemon wedge. That paprika mayo is next-level.”

5) Prosciutto Pizza at Ciaccia. “They just opened and they’re only steps from my office— dangerous territory. I tried this during their soft opening, and now I’m counting the days until I can make my way through the rest of the menu.”

Coming April 21, Badass Women of Charlottesville by Rachael Kesler Palm will be available locally at Rock Paper Scissors or through her website. An excerpt:

Michelle Moshier was 37 years old and 38 weeks pregnant when she found the first lump. “It was bright red and very hard. It didn’t hurt, but I felt something was wrong,” she says. She was getting out of the shower when she noticed that her left breast looked unusual, yet earlier that same day, she’d had a healthy 38-week prenatal well-visit with her OBGYN.

Moshier went to a breast cancer specialist the day after her prenatal visit. The doctor completed a biopsy of Moshier’s breast tissue and sent her home with antibiotics that they hoped would clear up whatever was making her left breast inflamed. Moshier was hopeful—she tends to seek out the positive in every situation. “Michelle has always been a silver lining kind of person, able to see the bright side of everything, ever since she was a kid—her parents told me this!” de Guzman says. Moshier was hopeful . . . but the next day, that hope disappeared.

The biopsy confirmed a diagnosis: stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive type of cancer that moves quickly. Letting things go even a week or two could have been catastrophic, Moshier remembers being told. “I realized then that if I hadn’t been pregnant, if I hadn’t been paying such close attention to my body, I probably would have let this go,” she says. “The results of that could have been pretty horrible.” Doctors told Moshier she would need to give birth immediately in order to begin treatment as soon as possible. She was induced that evening.

Mackenzie Moshier de Guzman was born on Thursday, March 11, 2021. “It was an especially easy delivery,” Moshier says. She was in labor for just six hours and pushed three times before Mackenzie arrived. “It was like my daughter was saying, ‘It’s time for me to come out so we can fight this.’” In their hospital room, Moshier and de Guzman soaked in time with Kenzie. “We cherished those first moments.” Moshier says. “Then the next morning, we wheeled her to the nursery, and we walked across the hall to meet with oncology.”

01/25/2019

Five Finds on Friday: Hannah Deal

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Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Hannah Deal of Hannah’s Homemade, which makes nut and granola butters from sustainably sourced, 100% organic ingredients that are free of most common allergens. Deal hopes her business will draw attention to chronic illnesses, and she donates a portion of proceeds to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA). You can meet Deal and sample her products tomorrow, January 26, at Feast! from 12-2 pm. Details here. Deal’s picks:

1) Roasted PEI Mussels at Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar. “I have eaten just about every dish at Orzo and while they are all incredible, their mussels appetizer is one of the best they’ve got. While I can no longer consume dairy as of 2017, I still dream about this dish and used to order it nearly every time I went. As a side note, I studied for a semester in Belgium (a place known for mussels) and couldn’t find any as good as Orzo’s. If that isn’t a testament to how good they are, I don’t know what is.”

2) Crab Soup at The Local. “Crab is a favorite food of mine, and since my family frequents the beach for vacations, I have had more than my fair share of crab soup over the years. I still remember where I sat when I took my first bite of The Local’s crab soup. It manages to be rich and creamy while not taking attention away from the most important ingredient; crab. As a bonus, you don’t feel like you’ve gained ten pounds after eating it. Similarly to the last dish, I can’t eat this one anymore, but I will still recommend it to anyone.”

3) Green Curry at Thai 99. “You can’t really go wrong when ordering green curry, but you can end up with a mediocre curry that you’ll forget about the next day. Thai 99’s is anything but mediocre and contains a blast of flavor and spice in each spoonful. As a bonus, this one works for all of the gluten-free and dairy-free folks out there! I could eat this every day during the winter, and then some.”

4) The Mayweather at Roots. “Roots is my go-to lunch place if I’m out working all day. I have eaten their Mayweather bowl so many times that the total is probably embarrassing, but their food is delicious and leaves me satisfied each time I go. I do make a few substitutions to create a dairy-free and gluten-free dish, but this is easy to do, and the staff are always so friendly. If you’re reading this and work at Roots, thanks for feeding me!”

5) Adam’s Apple at Revolutionary Soup. “This is the best sandwich I have ever had, period. Rev Soup takes some of the best, classic ingredients such as bacon, goat cheese, and apple, and puts them in between two slices of locally made bread slathered with homemade garlic aioli and local apple butter. You really can’t get better that! And while this sandwich is not allergen-friendly, most of their options are, which makes it a great place for just about anyone.”

12/21/2018

Five Finds on Friday: Marijean Oldham

Marijean0035

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Marijean Oldham, author of the 100 Things to Do in Charlottesville Before You Die. “It could have easily been 100 Things to Eat, but I needed to expand the scope, rather than my pants,” says Oldham. Cross off all of the remaining names from your Christmas list with the newly-released second edition, now available at New Dominion Bookshop, The Virginia Shop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.  Oldham’s picks:

1) Meatless Bolognese at Prime 109. “When I tell people a steakhouse is one of my new favorite restaurants, they are extremely surprised, because I don’t eat meat. And, while I could make a meal of a cocktail and Parker House rolls, the bolognese is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.”

2) Nachos at Beer Run. “Get the nachos your way, with meat, beans or both, add extra jalapenos, and avocado if you like. They get a highlight in a chapter of my book. They’re that good.”

3) Truffled Mushroom Ragout at The Local. “It’s possible I’d eat a truffled shoe, I love the flavor so much, but this dish with the house made fettucine, white truffle oil, dozens of local mushrooms and a just-right amount of parmesan cheese is the standard order every time I’m at The Local.”

4) Tofu Caramelized Onions from Vu Noodles. “This is one of those dishes I crave on a regular basis. Mostly it’s as takeout through the tiny window shop called The Spot on 2nd Street, to be eaten on a park bench if its nice or back at my desk if I’m busy. (Vu Noodles has a second location at The Jefferson School). Vegetarians crave umami, the category of taste that exists outside of sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. It’s hard to get when you don’t eat meat but the combo of rich caramelized onion, the texture of the tofu, and the noodles gets right to heart of that hunger spot.”

5) Deviled Egg Dip with Savory Waffles and Crispy Potatoes at Brasserie Saison. “I’m not ashamed to admit I had this dish two days in a row last winter. It is comfort food wrapped in a snuggly blanket. Next time I order it, I might even share.”

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